Special #1: Super Nova!
by Keji Fujikiro
Summary: PART OF KEJI AND ODDISH: A POKEMON ADVENTURE! My first special story! 21 pages! An epic conclusion to my first year!


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Special #1:   
Super Nova!   


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Early morning sun peaked into the Pokémon center, washing over all of the trainers that resided there, resting from their battles.   
"Where is it?!" Keji yelled, shattering the peace and quiet, looking at each of the spots on his belt, where he kept all of his Pokéballs. He looked back on the counter to where he placed his Pokéballs for Nurse Joy to heal. Magneton, his newest, Ponyta, Scyther, Sandshrew, Cubone... that was it?!   
"What is it?" Rei asked, her eyes wide, breathing hard from the start of having Keji yell in her ear.   
"ODDISH IS MISSING!" He yelled again, loud enough to gather angry looks from the trainers resting in the Pewter city Pokémon Center.   
"Mister Fujikiro, could you please calm down...?" Nurse Joy said tensely, very much disturbed by all the yelling.   
Unfortunately Keji wasn't listening. His jean pockets were already inside out, as were the pockets on his jacket, and he had dropped to the ground and started digging through his backpack, his head almost all the way inside it.   
"Keji... calm down and think..." Rei said, putting her hand on his shoulder.   
Keji didn't reply, he simply picked up his backpack, turned it upside down, and dumped the contents on the ground.   
"Excuse me!?" Nurse Joy yelled, angrily.   
"You have a problem?!" Keji yelled back, glaring at her from the ground.   
They glared at each other for a full minute, growling. Everyone in the Pokémon center was looking away, uncomfortably, the room was completely silent... until...   
"STOP IT!" Rei yelled, louder than Keji thought possible for any human being, especially Rei, causing both him and Joy to cower away from her as all the onlookers instantly spun their heads to stare at her.   
"Joy, heal the Pokémon. Keji, STOP AND THINK!" She said tensely.   
Keji nodded a bit, still visibly frightened of what had happened, he stood slowly, watching her the whole time, as were the trainers in the center.   
"Where was the last place you saw him...?" she asked, starting to calm down a bit as people in the center looked away and started muttering amongst themselves.   
Keji thought, "Well... I had to put him in a Pokéball after he took the blow from Magneton. I haven't used him since, cause he was pretty wounded... he could be back at the plant!" He smacked his head.   
"Then there's no problem!" Rei said, putting her hand back on his shoulder, "We'll just go back and Elise'll have him for you!"   
Keji nodded a bit and sighed. That was it. Nothing more.   
Nurse Joy came out from the back room and slammed the tray of Pokéballs back on the table, "Here." she said spitefully.   
"Thanks..." Keji muttered, as he started replacing them on his belt.   
Suddenly, the door to the center flew open, sending the whole room hurtling into an awkward silence again. The man that walked in wore a tan trench coat with dark, sheer black clothes underneath. The stranger stood about five and a half feet tall, and had a stern, cold look on his deeply etched features. He took no time singling out Keji, and started towards him with a confident and lengthy stride.   
Keji instinctively reached to his belt, his hand grazing one of the Pokéballs there, as the man spoke, "Mister Fujikiro?"   
"Yes, who're you?" He asked bluntly, his eyes narrowed. Rei stepped back timidly, behind Keji.   
"I come bearing an invitation." He replied, holding out an envelope.   
Keji frowned and snatched the envelope quickly, examining it closely. It was sealed with an odd design that looked like a star with elongated points, like it was exploding.   
"What is this?" Keji asked warily, the man only motioned for him to open it, so he sighed and tore the seal.   
The same design was on the top of the formally typed letter. It looked like it was straight from some sort of office or business. Keji frowned.   
"What's it say?" Rei asked, looking over his shoulder.   
Keji read it aloud, "Dear Trainer. You are formally invited to attend the Nova Gym's grand opening on Kusamura Island... blah blah... Nova Badge... blah... ODDISH!?"   
"What?!" Rei read down, "An Oddish is rewarded to the winner?!"   
The man barely stiffled laughter, "Yes."   
"You thieves!" Keji growled, "You took Oddish!"   
The man spun around, "You are invited to battle if you wish for the Oddish to be yours."   
"It is mine!" Keji yelled, ready to slug him.   
The man simply walked out, "The ride will be arriving at Pewter Gym in one half hour. And hitting me will not get you that Oddish." He chuckled a bit and left Keji, fuming and furious.   
Keji growled, "That guy at the Power Plant musta took him!" He clenched his fist "Come on Rei.... let's go...." he started out, but stopped when he noticed Rei wasn't following him.   
"Uh... Keji...?" Rei muttered.   
"What? We have to hurry!" He shot back, but then blushed when he saw that she was standing in a pile of the things Keji dumped out of his backpack, next to a furious and trembling Nurse Joy. "Oops..." he muttered, embarrassed.

It was approaching 10 AM as Keji and Rei approached the Pewter Gym, and it seemed they weren't the only ones "invited" to attend the Nova Gym's grand opening. As Keji approached the large stone building, three figures could be discerned. The first was a medium sized young man, only a year or two older than Keji at the most. He wore wide brimmed glasses, a white lab coat over average clothes, and a strange looking backpack that looked far too thin to hold anything. Upon their arrival Keji determined that it was, in fact, a lap-top computer in a special case so he could carry it on his back. The second of the people waiting by the gym was a woman who stood at least six and a half feet tall. She appeared to be in her prime, maybe late twenties to early thirties, and was powerful built, wearing a tanktop and tattered jeans, and standing with confidence and poise. The last was a tall, medium built man with shifty eyes and a perpetually sly grin. He wore neutral colored clothes and carried a backpack.   
"Another victim, I see..." The first man said in a thoughtful and calm voice, shaking his head, "This is too much..."   
The second man grunted a bit, his voice raspy and deep "The competition ends with me... I'll get that reward, so you can just go home kid."   
"Hey, why don't you just shut up?!" The woman snapped, her voice almost as deep as the man's. Keji noticed bags under her eyes, and her voice was tense. She was worried about something.   
Keji looked around, ignoring the squabbling pair, "Say, where's this ride?"   
The first man shrugged, stepping out from his spot in between the two, "Who knows. I personally don't like the smell of this. What did they promise you?"   
"What?" Keji blinked, confused, looking at him.   
"Like me, for example, they promised me full, 100% access to the Team Rocket computer Network." He almost drooled at the thought, "I could have some real fun with that kind of access..."   
Keji growled, "They kidnapped my Oddish..."   
"So?! They took my son!" The woman yelled, looking away from the second man, "Who cares about your stupid Pokémon?!"   
The other man just laughed cruelly, "I said forget it! I never lose!"   
Rei shook her head, having been silent up to this point, "So you were each promised something, whether it was blackmail," she nods to the woman and Keji, "Or some sort of reward." she looked at the first man.   
"This stinks... like Rockets..." Keji muttered.   
"Nope. Not their style." The man said, pushing his glasses up on his nose, "They don't usually offer invitations to steal Pokémon, nor do they engage in blackmail, ransom, etc. They would take what they want with some sort of deceptive plan."   
"This could be a trap... lying to get you all to go to some "gym"." Rei added.   
"My son is really missing! And they don't touch my Pokémon until I see him!"   
The first man nodded yet again, "It just isn't like them. In your cases," waves to Keji and the woman, "You were offered some sort of ultimatum, a service for a reward."   
Keji was about to say something when he heard a whirring overhead. Looking up he saw their "ride": A jet black helicopter, bearing straight down on them.   
The five quickly ran aside, giving the helicopter a place to land. Upon its landing, Keji spotted the man that gave him his invitation, as he stepped out of the copter.   
"Welcome esteemed trainers! Have you introduced yourselves yet? No, of course not, you've been trying to rationalize why you are all here!" He said, with great humor in his voice, "So allow me the pleasure of informal introductions, as more formal ones will follow when we arrive on the island."   
He pointed to the first man, "Kai Utsemi, brilliant computer technician, and at the youthful age of seventeen!" spinning, his gaze fell on the woman, "Gwendalin, Gwen, Tisaru, a beautiful and talented trainer of incredibly strong Pokémon, specializing in fighting types, I believe?" Upon recieving a grim nod from her, his gaze fell on the other man, who had fallen away from the group, and was leaning on the huge stone fence around the Pewter Gym, "Chet Vickeroy, rogue, criminal, thief, you name it, it fits." Chet nodded, almost smiling. Finally the man's gaze fell on Keji, "And Keji Fujikiro, traveler, trainer, and all around nice guy."   
"Drop the act!" Keji yelled, "What's really going on here?!"   
"Yeah." Chet growled, standing straight, "Are you from Team Rocket?!"   
The man shook his head, "No, no, no, I can assure you gentlemen and ladies, I am not from Team Rocket."   
"And how can we trust you?" Kai muttered, "Team Rocket members are notorious liars."   
"You can't, but you're going to have to." The man muttered back, "Now everyone in the copter, the Nova Gym awaits!"   
Keji growled, "I'm never one to back down, even if it's a Rocket plan..." he started in, followed by Rei.   
"Uh-uh, young lady, you were not invited." The man said, holding her back.   
"If Keji goes, I go!" She said, her tone shaky and unsure.   
The man narrowed his eyes, and moved his arm, allowing her to pass, "Very well, but you don't get to participate in the Gym's challenge..."   
She nodded a bit and followed Keji, sitting next to him, unconsciously scooting closer, hoping it would ease her fear. The passenger compartment of the copter consisted of two seats facing each other, long enough to fit four people on each side.   
Kai was the next to enter, and he sat across from Keji, watching him with mild interest. Keji could see the wheels spinning in his head as he tried to figure the whole mess out.   
Gwendalin was about to enter, but was cut off by Chet, who plopped down next to Rei, crossing his legs and leaning back comfortably, which made Rei very uncomfortable. Gwen grunted her displeasure, but entered in silence, sitting next to Kai, but not too close.   
"My son better be alright you monster..." She muttered as he entered after her, sliding the door shut and sitting next to her.   
"I told you before ma'm, we know nothing about your child." he said cooly. If Keji didn't know the Rockets so well, he would have believed him.   
The propeller began to spin, lifting the copter off the ground and starting toward their destination, Kusamura Island, and the Nova Gym.   
Chet grunted and sighed.   
"What's the matter?" Rei asked, trying to be nice despite her obvious discomfort with him around.   
He grunted and put his cheek to the window, "I forgot... I get air sick..." he muttered, sounding not at all himself.   
Gwen laughed mockingly, "Big man gets air sick?! Oh that's rich!"   
He just growled and closed his eyes.   
Keji was smiling a bit as he watched Chet's plight, then turned to Kai, who was typing away on his computer, "What are you doing?"   
"Hold on..." he muttered, then spun the screen to face him, "That you?"   
Keji looked and saw a picture of him throwing a Pokéball, "Wow... yeah... where'd you get it? Do I have a fan club on the internet or somethin?"   
"No, this is Team Rocket's files..."   
"What?!" Keji almost yelled, making everyone in the copter look at him, he laughed nervously and blushed until everyone turned back to their own thoughts before he spoke again, "Where'd you get it?"   
"Like I said, Team Rocket's database." He muttered, "They got a million of them." he opened another picture of Keji yelling at Pidgeotto, who was trying to pull Rei out of the river, "I remember now where I saw you before, I've been keeping track of you and your battles... here, I have a theory."   
"Wait wait wait... if you have access to their data, why're you coming here? I thought that's what they promised you if you won!" Keji interrupted.   
"I don't have access any MORE! They cut me off after they found me out... I was still online taking info from them for over a year!" He laughed, "You have quite an impressive track record..."   
"Well, I try..." Keji muttered.   
Kai coughed and nodded, deciding he had better get more information before sharing his theory. He closed his computer, "You say they took your Oddish?"   
Keji nodded.   
"Well that's too bad... you certainly worked well with him."   
Keji merely sighed and looked out the window at the passing landscape.   
The land soon turned to shore, which turned to ocean quickly enough. Keji was having a hard time waiting through the excruciatingly long ride. He wanted to find Oddish and go back to the way things were, catching Pokémon, trying to win battles, and, hopefully one day, badges.

"We are beginning our final descent, passengers are urged to prepare for landing." the voice came over the cockpit to passenger area intercom, snapping everyone out of their trances.   
"Begin thinking on which Pokémon you will use for your challenge." their escort said, holding onto the rails as they began to descend, roughly, and shakily, causing Chet to look even worse than he had for the rest of the ride, "Only one will be allowed, and we will hold the rest for you."   
"In a pig's eye!" Gwen yelled, standing, but falling back to the seat as the copter rocked, "I am not giving you my Pokémon!"   
"You have no choice, if you want to have any chance of claiming a reward." he replied cooly.   
"But... but... but..."   
"Just play their game..." Kai muttered, staring out the window in deep thought "We have no choice... they hold all the cards."   
She growled, but nodded a bit, incurring a slight smile from their escort, who looked out the window as well, "Ante up, fools." he muttered quietly, too quietly for anyone to hear him.   
As soon as the door opened, Chet leapt out and practically kissed the ground. An instant later he was back to his old arrogant, confident self. Everyone else followed, shaking their heads at his pathetic actions. Then, they saw it. A huge building made of simple gray stone.   
"This, trainers, is the Nova gym." the man said, waving his hand to it elaborately, "Now to begin the challenge. Which Pokémon do you chose?"   
"Golduck." Kai said first, opening a Pokéball, releasing a five foot tall, light blue duck Pokémon with sharp looking fins and a gem on his forehead.   
Keji blinked, at the interesting Pokémon, "Scyther." He threw out a Pokéball, releasing Scyther.   
"Excellent." The escort said, "You two?"   
"Marowak." Chet said coldly, releasing a Pokémon that resembled Cubone, but had a bigger club, and was larger, approximately four feet tall, "See? Close the competition, I win."   
"Over this?!" Gwen laughed, "Hitmonchan!" She threw out a Pokéball, releasing a humanoid Pokémon with boxer's attire, including the gloves. It swung a few times in warm up, and flexed a muscle.   
"Excellent. Looks like our first challengers will be interesting." the man said, smiling, "Now, we will take your other Pokéballs."   
They all grumbled and unattached their Pokéballs from their belts, each one of them handing them to their host in turn. Chet was more hesitant, but an angry glance from the man made him hand over his remaining Pokémon. He smiled and put them all in a duffle bag sitting in the passenger's compartment of the helicopter   
This done, he turned to the trainers, "Excellent."   
"What about me?" Rei asked with a frown.   
"You must wait out here. In the meantime, your Gym challenge begins here." he said, turning to the competitors,, "You will have to find your way into the gym first, then you must find the arena, then battle our trainer."   
"That's an awful lot of challenges, isn't it?" Keji muttered.   
"We don't make it easy to get a Nova Badge." The man replied, walking towards the helicopter.   
Keji and company watched him go, with many grumbles and angry muttering.   
"Well, any ideas?" Keji asked, watching the helicopter land on the roof. There must be an entrance there. Too bad it was far beyond their reach.   
"We break out way in! Hitmonchan!" Gwen pointed at the wall.   
Everyone just stared as Hitmonchan rushed forward and landed a solid blow to the wall. Everyone continued to stare as Hitmonchan held his fist against the wall. Suddenly his eyes began to tear up with pain, and everyone looked down, embarrassed, when he started dancing around, holding his sore glove, screaming in pain.   
"That worked oh so well..." Chet shook his head, his Marowak mimicing him perfectly, "Why are you people so stupid?"   
"Watch it!" Gwen growled in response, ready to punch him, but Keji stepped in between.   
"We don't have time for this!" He said.   
"Nope, I suggest we make a scan of the perimeter." Kai muttered, starting off.   
"Rei, since you can't compete in this kooky challenge, why don't you wait here?" Keji said. "But..." She began, but sighed, "Alright... I'll be here when you're done. Go get 'em Keji..."   
He nodded and continued to follow the crowd around the building.   
"She your girlfriend?" Gwen asked, no amount of joking in her voice, serious and interested.   
Keji blushed a bit, but retained his composure, "Nah, we just travel together."   
"I'll bet." Chet muttered, "She better not distract you. I might need you to get me to the arena so I can whomp the trainer!"   
Keji was about to refute, but Gwen just shook her head, indicating silence.   
"Could you three keep your mind on the task at hand?" Kai said, and the three noticed that he had stopped.   
"What is it?" Keji asked, looking around.   
"There." Kai said, pointing at the wall. The three trainers and their Pokémon followed his finger and saw a grate leading to a shaft of some sort.   
"It must be a ventilation shaft." Keji muttered.   
"Marowak, get that grate off of there!" Chet said. Marowak nodded and grabbed the grate, easily tearing it off the shaft, he then threw it aside and flexed his muscles, showing off his strength, causing the others to groan and shake their heads, "Ha! With moves like that, who could argue that I'll win!?"   
Gwen growled and started to crawl into the shaft, her Hitmonchan right behind her. It was tight for her, but luckily she was the largest member of the crew, and if she fit, they'd all fit. Keji crawled in next, followed by Scyther, Chet, who was very disappointed that no one cared that it was only because of his Pokémon that they were able to get in, followed next, with his grumbling Marowak, then Kai and Golduck last.   
The shaft, which seemed more like a tunnel, as it was long and straight, seemed unending at first glance.   
"How long does it look?" Keji asked.   
Gwen looked over her shoulders, "Long... I can't see the end."   
"Great. More work..." Chet grumbled. his Marowak grumbled as well, miming his master's displeasure, "What is with this gym?!"   
"For once I agree with Chet... this is very wierd..." Gwen muttered, plunging deeper and deeper into the tunnel, which seemed perpetually, yet dimly, lit.   
"No badge battles I ever faced were like this..." Chet muttered, displeased.   
Gwen grunted and nodded. With that the party of four humans and their Pokémon was silent, each thinking their own thoughts. Keji was a bit uncomfortable around these obviously experienced and superior trainers, and therefor began to worry if he would be able to win Oddish back... no, he had to win him back, he couldn't lose this...   
"Watch it!" Gwen yelled as Keji rammed into Hitmonchan, who rammed into her, her voicing echoing down the tunnel.   
"Sorry!" he said, embarrased, "Why'd you stop?"   
"There's an intersection ahead..." she muttered.   
Kai finally spoke, after being quiet for so long, "Methinks we should continue forward until we get to a dead end, and have to turn around, or we find the arena."   
She nodded, "Sounds logical..." she muttered as she continued forward. The tunnel that intersected their own was very wide, wide enough so that they would all be in it at the same time before the first person, Gwen, would leave the intersection.   
"What's with such a wide tunnel?" Keji asked, skeptical.   
Gwen frowned, "Who knows. Team Rocket's pretty crazy."   
"We still don't know that this is Team Rocket." Kai argued, "We have to keep an open mind."   
Keji shook his head, "This stinks like a Rocket scheme... we're probably walking right into a trap."   
It was odd Keji said that when he did, for the moment Golduck, the last in the line, crawled into the intersection, a whirring sound began to fill the tunnels.   
"What's that?" Chet wondered. He turned to look down the other tunnel and saw his answer, "FAN!" He yelled, but his warning came too late, as the tunnel was flooded with wind, blowing everyone back.   
"SCY!" Scyther screamed, holding against the wind a bit longer then everyone else, but being thrown back just the same. Luckily he thought quickly and dug his blades into the "floor" of the tunnel.   
"GRAB ON!" Keji screamed, snatching Scyther's legs. Marowak was next to respond, holding onto Keji's foot with his spare hand, then Gwen grabbed Marowak by the tail (gaining an angry muttering from the Pokémon), then Chet and Golduck held onto her by the waist, then Hitmonchan grabbed Chet's leg, and lastly Kai grabbed Golduck by a flippered foot.   
"EVERYONE ALRIGHT?!" Keji yelled behind him, holding on for dear life.   
"For now... AAAAAH!" Kai responded, but when he looked over his shoulder he saw the tunnel end, and spikes protruding from the wall! "It seems we have a bit of a situation here!" He yelled.   
"Scyther, try and get us to that fan!" Keji yelled.   
Scyther grumbled, "Scy..." he muttered, but started to "climb" against the wind, putting one blade before the other, making sure it was sunk in deep enough to maintain everyone's weight before pushing further, slowly gaining ground against the rushing wind, despite the great weight pulling him back.   
"Great! Keep going!" Keji yelled happily.   
"Get a little closer!" Chet yelled, "Marowak can save the day again!"   
Keji nodded, "A little bit more!" Keji yelled over the rushing wind.   
Scyther nodded, but it was obvious he was getting tired, he reached within an arms length of the fan and sunk his blades in deep.   
"GO FOR IT MAROWAK!" Keji yelled, even louder now since the noise was louder this close to the fan.   
"MAROW!" Marowak started climbing forward, careful not to lose his bone club, while everyone still hung on for dear life. Thank god everyone picked strong Pokémon, Keji thought.   
"WAAAAAAAK!" Marowak let go for an instant and stuck his bone club into the fan, shattering it, just as Scyther let go, avoiding the dangerous flying shards. The crew fell back a couple feet, but not nearly far enough to put them in danger from the spikes behind them.   
"Way to go Scyther, Marowak!" Keji said happily, also happy he didn't have to yell anymore.   
"This is nuts! No Gym is this dangerous!"   
"You're welcome to go back!" Gwen said angrily, beginning down the tunnel again with Hitmonchan close at her heels, "But I'm gonna save my son!"   
"I won't turn down this reward!" Chet said, following followed by a very proud Marowak.   
Keji cast a glance as Kai, "I can't abandon my friend Kai. If you really know me from the Rocket's files, then you already know this. I don't abandon my friends."   
Kai nodded, "I know... I know... come on..." he muttered, following Keji and Scyther with Golduck after him.

The tunnel seemed to go on forever, and no one was very talkative, yet they were all extra cautious, which made the traveling go even slower.   
"Wait! I see light!" Gwen yelled, "Up ahead!"   
"Great, must be another trap..." Kai muttered.   
Chet grumbled, "Let's get out of this shaft! I wanna stretch! If we can handle that fan, we can take anything they have to throw!"   
"Famous last words..." Kai grumbled in reply.   
The group hurried to the light to find another grate, leading to a huge, empty room.   
"The arena?" Gwen whispered, quizzically.   
"Could be... but where is everyone?" Kai said, looking over her shoulder.   
"Maybe they didn't expect us to make it..." Chet said, chuckling, which got some shushes from the other three trainers.   
"Only one way to find out." Gwen muttered, laying on her back, and kicking hard, knocking the grate off the opening, and slipping out, dropping ten feet to the ground, and landing safely.   
"Coast's clear." She whispered loud enough for them to hear. Keji slipped out next, landing hard on his rear end, and getting crushed by Chet, who slipped and fell out very ungracefully. Golduck lifted Kai down with his telekinesis, and he landed safely to the side.   
"Golduck's Psychic?" Keji wondered, after Chet had so graciously removed himself.   
"Duh! Chet shook his head, "Didn't you know that? Psyduck evolves into Golduck!"   
"Hey, lay off the kid..." Gwen muttered, looking around, "Well, we can stretch, but it looks like this is a dead end..."   
Kai frowned, "Not good... it's gotta be a trap..."   
Suddenly the walls began to close in with a grating stone on stone sound.   
"Great! Another one!" Keji growled, looking wildly around.   
"Marowak, stop that wall!" Chet yelled, pointing.   
"Good idea, Hitmonchan, that one!" Gwen pointed to the other wall.   
The two Pokémon nodded. Marowak charged the wall, and tackled it, pushing back with his shoulder, and slowing it considerably, but not stopping. Hitmonchan set himself firmly into the ground, pushing with his gloved hands, but likewise not stopping it.   
"We still need to find a way out!" Kai said, looking around, "Maybe part of the stationary walls is thinner than the rest..."   
The three of them nodded, and the group went about, knocking on the walls, looking for a weak point.   
"Here!" Keji pointed, "Scyther, tackle!"   
Scyther grumbled again, but did as he was told, landing a solid blow to the part of the wall Keji was pointing at, sending a deep crack through it, but not opening any sort of passage.   
"We don't have time, Golduck, psybeam!" Kai yelled, pointing.   
Scyther's eyes went wide, and he jumped aside quickly as the gem on Golduck's head glowed a light blue, and a beam of light flew at the wall, blasting it back, revealing a long hallway.   
"Everyone in!" Gwen yelled, running through the new doorway, followed by everyone else piling through the opening in a very disorderly fashion.   
Panting for breath, the group stopped some way down the hall.   
Keji looked back and sighed, "No way back now." he muttered, as the walls closed in the trap room, sealing off their escape.   
"Well I wasn't planning on turning back!" Chet said, clenching his fist, "I'm gonna get whoever's putting us through this!"   
"We're putting ourselves through this, Chet!" Kai said, panting worse than the others, "We could have turned back before, but NOOOOO!"   
"Some of us have more in stake here than just computer games!" Gwen yelled angrily, "Come on, let's go!"   
"Wait!" Keji yelled with an authority that surprised everyone, "We need to stop and think!"   
Everyone just looked at him like he was insane, but nodded and stopped moving.   
"Why are we here?!" Keji said finally, "What do we all have in common?"   
Kai thought, "Team Rocket."   
"Huh?" Chet looked at him.   
"I knew it from the beginning, I've seen all of your names, including my own, in their database! We're on their hitlist!"   
"So this is all a set up?!" Gwen yelled, "STUPID ROCKETS!" She yelled, punching the wall.   
"Settle down, Gwen..." Keji muttered, "We need to keep our heads about this..."   
"I don't care! I want this reward!" Chet said, smiling.   
"You idiot! There IS no reward!" Gwen retorted, causing him to slink back, "And now we're trapped in here for no reason!"   
"We have to fight our way out," Kai offered, "Give them what they paid for, play their little game, whatever you want to call it, it needs to be done."   
Keji sighed and nodded, "Fraid so, but that doesn't mean rush headlong into danger, that's just stupid!"   
Gwen nodded, an amount of respect and pride in her slight smile, "So, what do we do, Keji?"   
"We keep going, but carefully, and as a team! Arguing and fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to get us out of here in one piece."   
Kai nodded, "Sounds logical."   
Chet snorted, but stayed quiet.   
"Then I suggest we move." Gwen said, nodding herself, "Lest we become targets."   
The group nodded yet again and followed Gwen and Hitmonchan.

"This was a great idea." The dark man said, watching the crew on a video monitor, "Giovanni will not be happy..."   
"Exactly. The Rockets couldn't deal with this rabble, so we will! Giovanni will see what we're capable of!" A man replied, the same man from the Power Plant.   
"I still think this is reckless father." Yet another figure muttered from the shadows. This man was shrouded by these shadows, and nothing could be seen, besides his large build and long, flowing black cape, "We shouldn't take such chances."   
"Objection duly noted, but overruled." The father said, turning back to the screen, and smiling wickedly. Even if they made it to the arena, there was no way they'd survive the little surprise that awaited them there.

"Another empty room..." Kai muttered skeptically, "Yeah, this looks promising."   
"There's a door in this one." Keji pointed out, "We run across the room to the door. No fuss no muss."   
Gwen nodded.   
"Maybe that's what they want..." Chet said, looking into the room warily, "Maybe running will set off the trap."   
Kai frowned, "For once you make sense... maybe we should walk..."   
"Then we'd be trapped in the room if there was some sort of wall trap again..."   
"This is nuts!" Gwen yelled, "I'd rather face this trap than try and divine what it could be!" She started into the room.   
Scyther suddenly leapt into the room, knocking her to the ground.   
"What did you do THAT for?!" She yelled angrily.   
He growled, and pointed at the wall, were a large dart was sticking inches into solid stone.   
She just stared, mumbling. Finally one word came out, "Thanks..."   
"Get out of there!" Keji yelled.   
"WAK!" Marowak screamed, throwing his bone club in a beautiful arch, deflecting three more darts. The club continued on its path, returning to Marowak's waiting hand.   
Scyther growled and leapt to his feet as four more darts flew out of holes in the wall. He narrowed his eyes and deflected them all, his arms moving so fast they appeared as just blurs, each dart reflecting from its target with a clean "ping" sound.   
"Golduck, stop those darts!" Golduck nodded and waddled into the room, holding his arms up. Three more darts flew at the trio in the room. Scyther narrowed his eyes, ready to deflect the darts. Gwen closed hers...   
But the darts never came.   
"Come on!" Was Keji's yell that made Gwen open her eyes, seeing the crew run across the room. Kai stopped to help her up.   
"What was that?!" She asked, shaking.   
Kai chuckled humorlessly, "I knew teaching Golduck light screen was a good idea."   
Gwen looked up, seeing a slight gleam, the only thing betraying the invisible wall. Three more darts bounced off Golduck's special defensive Psychic attack.   
"Good job..." she said under her breath, still pretty disturbed. She, Scyther, and Kai left the room before Golduck let down the light screen and followed the crew, darts narrowly missing him as he waddled through the room, oblivious to the danger.   
"That was too close!" Gwen said shakily, panting.   
"I'll say..." Kai replied, leaning against the wall.   
"Pretty bone-brained move..." Chet said, shaking his head.   
"Watch it!" She growled angrily under her breath.   
"This is terrible, we never know what's going to happen next!" Keji grumbled, hands on his knees, panting.   
"Yeah," Gwen replied, standing, "For all we know this hallway could be a trap..."   
Her thought was cut off by the floor slanting downward quickly, causing the group to slide down the slope, into a long tube.   
"WHEN ARE YOU PEOPLE GOING TO LEARN TO STOP SAYING THAT?!" Chet yelled, falling down the tube.   
"Scyther!" Keji yelled, grabbing onto his legs. Scyther started flapping his wings, barely slowing his descent, "AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A FLYING TYPE!"   
"THER SCY!" He yelled back angrily.   
"Golduck! Slow us down!" Golduck closed his eyes and a light blue glow covered the entire group, slowing their fall to a crawl.   
"What next...?" Kai muttered, with a deep sigh.   
"Hey... the ground!" Chet pointed down. Everyone looked to, indeed, see the ground, but not just any ground, it was painted... like a Pokémon arena.   
"The arena!" Gwen yelled.   
Keji closed his eyes. This was it. This wasn't just a battle against the Rockets, this was a battle to save his friend. He glanced over and saw everyone focusing, preparing for the battle that lay below them.   
Within moments they softly landed, the sound of one man clapping filled the room.   
"Bravo trainers. I am impressed."   
"What kind of kooky gym is this?!" Gwen yelled, her anger growing.   
"The Nova Gym, of course." The man replied. He was an aging man, but not too old, 45 at most, sitting in a black velvet chair on a balcony overlooking the gym. Below the balcony was a large metal door, leading to only he knew where.   
"Well we came all this way, let's fight!" Chet yelled, ":Marowak, this is what we've been waiting for!"   
"Wait wait wait... at least let me tell you the rules!" The man said, holding up his hands, "I will use four of the gym's Pokémon, and each of you will use one. Since you are so gung-ho about this, you shall go first." He said, pointing at Chet.   
"WAK MAROW MAROWAK!" Marowak yelled, leaping forward, swinging his club around.   
"Let the games begin then." the man said, and opened a Pokéball, "Kadabra, go!"   
"Kadabra?!" The four humans yelled in unison.   
"The... evolved form of Abra?" Keji frowned.   
"Pretty big guns." Kai frowned and watched, interested.   
"Marowak, focus energy!" Chet said, laughing, no problems. Marowak flexed his muscles and started to glow, getting visibly bigger.   
"Kadabra, hypnosis." The man yawned.   
"Ka...dab...ra..." Kadabra started waving his hands around, sending ripples of psychic energy at Marowak, who blinked and tried to shrug it off.   
"Yeah! Just blow it off Marowak!" Chet said smugly.   
Marowak leaned up against his bone club, yawning wide.   
"NO!"   
"Kadabra, psybeam." The man said, coolly, not caring too much.   
"DAAAAAABRA!" Kadara threw his hands forward, firing a bright beam of energy, that caused the four trainers and their Pokémon to shield their eyes.   
"Maaaarow..." Marowak muttered as he fell backwards, the beam flying over him, causing the trainers and their Pokémon to scatter to avoid the beam. Marowak blinked, his eyes going wide, as he saw the beam fly over his face, so close he could feel the energy rippling from it.   
"Nice dodge Marowak!" Chet yelled happily from his spot on the floor where he leapt to.   
"Yeah, as if he planned that..." Gwen muttered, getting nods from trainers and Pokémon alike.   
"Marowak, BONE CLUB!" Chet yelled.   
Marowak nodded and leapt to his feet, hurling his club at his foe.   
"Confusion." The man said, still not at all impressed.   
Kadabra's eyes glowed a bright red, as the bone club arched away from him, missing him by mere inches, then arching again, returning back to Marowak, though Kadabra had sped it up outside the catchable velocity.   
"Wak!" Marowak exclaimed, not entirely surprised or frightened. He rolled to the side, missing the bone club by inches, just as it had missed Kadabra, and it arched behind him, coming for another pass.   
"Marowak, skull bash!" Chet threw his hand down.   
Marowak darted forward, catching Kadabra, who was too busy concentrating on the club, completely by surprise, pushing him back inches.   
"Now! Mega punch!"   
"WAK!" Marowak wound up, and punched Kadabra in the gut, then did a backwards somersault, under the approaching club, which conked Kadabra on the head and ricocheted up. Marowak leap to his feet and held up his hand, catching it perfectly, "Marowak." He said, striking a pose, then turning to the trainers and bowing to their happy applause.   
"Next." The man said casually, returning Kadabra.   
Keji frowned. This guy was too confident.   
"I'll go!" Gwen yelled, "But you have to give me my son if I win!"   
The man shrugged, "Magmar." He said, releasing a vaguely humanoid Pokémon, seemingly on fire and standing over six feet tall! It growled and glared at the trainers.   
"Come on Hitmonchan! Let's show him who's boss!" Gwen said, not at all intimidated.   
"What's that!?" Keji wondered, pulling out his Pokédex.

Magmar   
The Magma Pokémon. Magmar is fowl tempered and difficult for any trainer to handle. Due to its high body temperature it is ill-advised that any trainer seek one out.

"Watch it Gwen!" Keji yelled, worried.   
"I know how to handle myself kid." She replied haughtily, obviously focused on the battle.   
"Fire punch."   
"Mega Punch!"   
Both Pokémon met in the center of the arena, punching at the same time, fists meeting in mid punch, neither getting to their target, then they both leapt back, avoiding the next attack, that never came.   
"Magmar, Flame Thrower."   
"Agility!" Gwen yelled, almost immediatly after the man's order.   
Magmar reared back, ready to blow the flame at Hitmonchan, but Hitmonchan disappeared, leaving Magmar aiming at the wall behind him.   
"HITMON!" Hitmonchan appeared beside his foe, punching Magmar hard in the face, knocking him sideways.   
"Good! Comet punch!" Hitmonchan nodded and disappeared again, leaving Magmar swinging wildly in mid air. Hitmonchan appeared behind him, and barraged him with hundred of punches, making his arm appear as nothing but a blur of red.   
"Mag... mar..." Magmar spun, and swung clumsily again, missing by a mile as Hitmonchan stepped aside.   
Gwen yawned, "Mega Punch."   
Hitmonchan landed a solid blow to Magmar's face yet again, causing him to rise, standing rigidly.   
"Mon." He yawned, and pushed Magmar over.   
"Maaaaaaaar..." Magmar droned as he hit the ground with a solid thud.   
"And the champ!" Gwen ran on the arena, raising Hitmonchan's glove, "Hotmonchan!"   
Keji and Kai clapped madly, but she only received a sneer from Chet.   
"Next." The man said yet again, returning the fallen Magmar into his Pokéball.   
Keji frowned. He was too confident for just losing two Pokémon, "I'll go." He said, "Scyther, you're up!"   
"SCYTHER! THER SCY!" Scyther yelled, turning his back.   
"You won't fight?!" Keji yelled angrily.   
Scyther spun and glared at Keji, "Ther scy sycther ther scyther scy scy!"   
"You... think I've been bossing you around?" Keji looked down, ashamed, "I... Scyther please... I need you to fight for Oddish... he's in trouble..." he looked at Scyther, pleading.   
Scyther narrowed his eyes, then threw his arms up in defeat, "Scyther..." and stepped out onto the arena.   
"Charizard." The gym leader opened another Pokéball.   
Keji frowned, "Scyther, be careful."   
"Scyther..." he nodded and assumed a ready stance as the huge red lizard with a flaming tail took shape. It stood on two legs, almost six feet tall, with two large wings, giving him the overall appearance of a dragon.   
"Flame thrower."   
Charizard growled and spouted flame at Scyther, who leapt aside nimbly, watching, waiting for the next attack.   
"Again." He said, in his same uncaring tone.   
"ZAAAAARD!" Charizard roared and released another pillar of flame at Scyther.   
"Double Team!" Keji yelled desperately.   
"SCYYYY!" Scyther bellowed, not jumping to one side, but leaping to both sides as he split into two copies, both of them leaping at Charizard.   
"Slash."   
"CHAR!" Charizard swept its massive claws at one of the Scythers, who avoided the attack expertly.   
"Rage."   
Keji began to sweat. He had no idea what to do. Charizard was too big, too powerful... he didn't know what attacks to order, and simply watched, frightened.   
Charizard bellowed and began to glow a deep red, swinging in every direction, even the ones that Scyther wasn't in, hoping to catch the nimble bug Pokémon with its powerful blows.   
"Flash!" Keji yelled finally, remembering the attack Scyther used against Electabuzz in the Power Plant. One of the Scythers leapt in front of Charizard, holding up his blades in a cross in front of his face, reflecting the dim lights of the gym into Charizard, blinding him. A blind swing from Charizard in retaliation, though, sent Scyther flying aside and skidding across the arena, causing the second Scyther to vanish into thin air.   
"Scyther... scy scy..." He grumbled, standing slowly and painfully.   
"Come on Scyther! Don't give up!"   
"Scyther..." Scyther shook his head, and assumed a fighting stance, ready for the next attack.   
Charizard growled as its eyes cleared, and it prepared for another attack.   
"Fire Spin."   
"QUICK ATTACK!"   
Before anyone in the gym could blink an eye, Scyther had sunk his knee into Charizards gut, doubling the huge lizard over in pain.   
"Take down!"   
"SCYYYYYY!" Scyther leapt into the air and landed hard on Charizard's back, dropping him to the floor with a thud that almost shook the arena.   
"Excellent!" Keji yelled, jumping with pleasure.   
Scyther bowed and walked calmly off the arena, not a single bead of sweat on his brow. If they hadn't seen the battle, they would have no idea he was just fighting.   
"Not bad kid." Gwen said, smiling. Keji only smiled a bit in response.   
"I guess that leaves us, Golduck." Kai muttered.   
"Duck duck." Golduck replied, waddling slowly out into the arena.   
"Hypno." The gym leader said, as always, as if it didn't matter which Pokémon he used.   
"Kai, watch it... this is too easy..." Keji muttered.   
Kai nodded, "He doesn't seem to care that he hasn't won a match yet. I wonder what's going on."   
"Hypno, Poison gas." The trainer said. Keji could swear that he heard a yawn.   
"Hypno... hypno..." Hypno opened his mouth, spouting noxious gas at the confused looking Golduck.   
"Confusion." Kai said, sounding almost as cool and calm as the gym leader, obviously concentrating on the battle deeply.   
Golduck held up his hands, "Duck golduck!" Suddenly the cloud of gas split, and doubled back on the startled Hypno.   
"Hyp... Hypno!" Hypno held up his hands and the gas dissipated throughout the arena.   
"Water gun." Kai said, a bit angry that didn't work.   
"Disable."   
Golduck opened his mouth, but no water came out.   
"Gol?" Golduck blinked and scratched his head.   
"Hypnosis." The gym leader muttered, obviously growing weary with the battle.   
"Uh... FURY SWIPES!" Kai finally yelled, an ultimate act of desperation.   
"DUCK!" Suddenly the clumsy, awkward duck Pokémon leapt forward with a quick attack, slashing madly before the Hypno even had a chance to swing its medallion for the hypnosis move.   
"Return." The trainer muttered.   
"Wait!" Keji yelled, stepping forward, "That battle wasn't done yet!"   
"Bah. This is just a warm up." The man stood, "Welcome trainers, to the Nova Gym."   
"Wait a minute!" Chet too stepped forward, clenching his fist, "We won your stupid battle, now give us our badges and our rewards!"   
"The battle has not begun yet... surely you didn't think that pathetic rabble of Pokémon would be your challenge?!"   
Gwen just frowned, "Then what was it?"   
"Call it a test." A man said, stepping out of the shadows next to the gym leader.   
Keji paled and took a step back.   
"Allow me to introduce my son," The gym leader said, smiling, "Hunter."   
Hunter grinned evilly, "I at least know Keji and I have met."   
"And my dear friend," he waved to his other side where another figure, the man from the Power Plant, stepped out of the shadows, "Guido Takahama."   
"A pleasure." He said cynically, in his usual nasal voice, a huge grin plastered over his face.   
Kai growled, the first sign of anger Keji had seen in the young man, "Guido..." Guido offered a bit of a smile and a shrug.   
"Who are you?! Why are you doing all this?!" Gwen screamed, apparently reaching the boiling point finally.   
"I said, a test." He smiled, "All of those Pokémon belonged to other people no more than a week ago."   
"But... that's impossible, they were totally loyal..." Kai wondered thoughtfully.   
"Aren't we good?" Guido chuckled.   
"Those disks!" Keji yelled.   
Kai frowned and took his lap-top off his back, "Yeah, I heard something about a project to control Pokémon. Some sort of disks that attached themselves to the victim's head..." he started pounding away on the keys, trying to find something.   
"Ah, a clever one..." Hunter muttered.   
"It was deep sixed two years ago..." Kai frowned, reading, "Something didn't work right."   
The older man sat back down, "It killed anything we attached it to. An unfortunate development." He shook his head, looking almost saddened.   
"But... if the program was canceled, how do you...?" Gwen frowned, "What's going on here?"   
"Giovanni was impatient." The man said, smiling, "But we were not. I saw the inherit advantages to spending time and finishing this project, as you are about to see."   
"And why us?" Chet asked, leaning against the wall, not at all impressed, "I mean, me I can see... greatest trainer of all time..."   
Hunter laughed, "Don't flatter yourself hot shot."   
"Listen to Hunter, Mister Vickeroy." The man said, looking up at the ceiling, thinking, then he looked down, "Perhaps some more in depth introductions are in order."   
"But we were already introduced." Keji said, frowning.   
"Kai Utsemi," He began, ignoring Keji's remark, "Former computer technician for Team Rocket, but hacked into their system after an unfortunate incident in Fuscia city, thereby activating his termination from Team Rocket's payroll."   
"You worked for the Rockets?!" Gwen asked, looking shocked, "But you're so... young!"   
Kai shrugged, not at all moved by their words, still reading something on his screen.   
"Little known to Giovanni, he continued leeching off their system for some time before I persoanlly disconnected his connection" He finished with a smile.   
Kai looked up and frowned, "How...?"   
"Chet Vickeroy," He continued, interrupting Kai's question, "Thief, rogue, competitor with Team Rocket."   
Chet smiled, "That's me." He nodded from where he leaned against the wall.   
"Always screwing the Rockets so you can take their bounty. Promised a complete pardon from Team Rocket's hit list for appearing here today."   
He nodded again, "You got me. Now, do I get it or not?"   
"Gwendalin Tisaru," he continued, not answering Chet's question.   
"Gwen." She interrupted angrily, looking about ready to kill someone.   
"Talented breeder and trainer that has turned down Team Rocket's generous offer to help breed fighting Pokémon to raise her child."   
Gwen growled, getting visibly madder and madder, causing the other three trainers to subconsciously take steps back.   
Hunter chuckled, "And Keji Fujikiro."   
The man continued, "General nuisance, stepping on Team Rocket's plans wherever he finds them, costing them many victories."   
Keji nodded, "And enjoying every minute of it! Where's Oddish!?"   
"So, we're all enemies of the Rockets." Kai said, "I was right..."   
"So you ARE Team Rocket!" Gwen yelled, but far more confused than angry now.   
The man shook his head, "I left explicit instructions for your host to tell you we were NOT representatives of Team Rocket."   
"That's what he told us." Keji frowned.   
"Yup." Kai replied.   
Gwen frowned, looking even more confused, "But he was obviously lying!" She yelled, her anger returning.   
"I assure you Miss Tisaru, we are not from Team Rocket."   
"But Hunter and that Guido guy are!" Keji yelled, pointing, "I've fought them both!"   
"Consider myself resigned." Hunter snickered.   
Guido shrugged, "I just liked the uniform."   
"But..." Gwen shook his head, "Now I'm confused." she threw up her arms, finally admitting it.   
"A simple task, I assure you, Misses Tisaru."   
"Hey!"   
"Hunter, show our guests their real challenge."   
Hunter pulled out a remote control device with a great smile, "With utmost pleasure." he spun his finger around a large button for a moment, grinning, then finally pressed it.   
The four trainers and their Pokémon looked around, confused, as they heard gears whirring, they finally saw the source of the sound. Watching in horror they saw a large hole open against the far wall of the arena. Slowly a platform rose through the hole, a stone gray Pokémon stood, slumped over upon the platform, looking similar to a robot that had been turned off. It had a long, lizard like tail, gray scales, and long clawlike fingers.   
"What is that!?" Keji wondered, pulling out his Pokédex. For once, he noticed the other trainers were doing the same, happy he was not the only one that had not heard of or seen this Pokémon. Almost in unison, each of the Pokédexes gave their information.

  
  


Unknown Pokémon Species.

Or lack thereof.   
"Unknown?!" Kai muttered, "That's impossible!" Keji turned to see that Kai had his lap-top pointed at the creature, on the screen, a very Pokédex like display, "This program has twice the database of a normal Pokédex, there's no Pokémon alive that isn't in here!"   
"Apparently there's one." Hunter muttered with a sly smile, "This, is Psyro."   
"What the heck is it?!" Chet growled.   
"Marowak wak!" Marowak mimicked his master's tone, swinging his bone club menacingly.   
"It's the child of a new order." Hunter laughed, "A child of Team Nova."   
"Team Nova?" The trainers all asked at the same time, frowning. Keji knew he didn't like the sounds of that, and it didn't sound like the others did either.   
"Yes." The gym leader said, smiling, "Giovanni is unfit to lead a team with such a grand plan. His ideals were admirable, but he's grown too cautious, careful, and yet too impatient. He doesn't know how to properly run such an organization."   
"And you do?" Kai asked, skeptically.   
"I do." He replied, smiling, "Now, let the true challenge begin. I will show Giovanni that he is truly incompetent. Four thorns in Team Rocket's rear end, torn out by me, as he was unable to for so long."   
"Scyther, get ready!"   
"Hitmonchan, let's show 'em who's boss!"   
"Go get him Marowak!"   
"Golduck, go."   
The man laughed, "Psyro, flare up and destroy them!"   
"PSYYYYYYYRO!" Psyro raised his head slowly and his entire body burst into flames.   
"SCYTHER!" Scyther leapt forward, but was thrown back by a burst of flame, which everyone had to leap aside to avoid.   
"He's not just attacking the Pokémon, he's after us!" Gwen yelled.   
The three men on the balcony laughed aloud, "How else would we get rid of all four of you?!" Hunter laughed.   
"Psyro," The man laughed, "Continue if you will!"   
"Hold back, Golduck is strong to fire types!" Kai yelled, "Water gun!"   
"DUCK DUCK!" Golduck leapt forward and opened wide, preparing to blast Psyro with his chilling water.   
Psyro narrowed his eyes and held up his hand, and suddenly Golduck clutched his head in pain, falling to his knees, screaming.   
"Golduck!" Kai rushed forward, kneeling by his friend, "Golduck... please... are you alright?"   
"Marowak!" Chet stepped forward, pointing at his foe.   
"Hitmonchan!" Gwen did the same, "Let's get him!"   
Marowak and Hitmonchan charged at the opponent from opposite sides, Marowak pulled his arm back and threw his club during the charge, hoping to land a blow that would fell the power house.   
"Ro..." Psyro turned his head and watched the club approach, as his eyes began glowing a deep red, but amazingly it missed its mark by mere inches, enough to feel the breeze it created from passing him.   
"Scyther, get in there!" Keji yelled.   
Scyther growled, not out of spite for being ordered, but anger for being downed, he screamed and darted into the fray.   
Hitmonchan pulled his arm back, ready for a powerful strike, but was struck down by the bone club hitting him solidly in the face, throwing him onto his back a few feet backwards.   
"SCYTHER!" Scyther screamed, approaching the fray.   
Psyro turned his head to face the new opponent, and the bone club ricocheted off Hitmonchan's head and rebounded to fly at Scyther, who was caught totally by surprise and struck in the gut, dropping him to his knees in pain.   
"Skull bash Marowak!"   
"WAK WAK!" Marowak lowered his head and charged.   
"Psy." Psyro muttered, flinging the bone dlub at Marowak now, who rolled to the side, landing on his feet. Psyro frowned and sent the bone club flying back at Marowak from behind, knocking him onto his face, "Psyro." He muttered, dropping the bone club from its place in midair.   
"This is fun!" Guido said, laughing, "Wish I brought some popcorn!"   
Hunter chuckled a bit.   
"Scyther..." Scyther growled, rising to his feet slowly.   
Psyro faced the newly risen foe with narrowed eyes.   
"Scy..." Scyther growled and assumed a fighting stance. His eyes opened wide as a blast of flame flew at him.   
"SCYTHER!" Keji yelled. The flame swept past, but no Scyther stood there, "SCYTHER!" He screamed again.   
"Ha... one down. That wasn't so hard." Guido laughed.   
"That's it!" Gwen yelled, finally reaching the boiling point, "You guys are gonna get it!"   
"Psyro, destroy her next!" The trainer pointed at Gwen.   
"Psy..." His eyes began to glow, flame swirling in front of him.   
Gwen panicked and looked around. Marowak was still flat on his face, Hitmonchan on his back, Golduck still clutching his head with Kai knelt beside him. This might be it...   
"SCYTHER!" Scyther appeared behind Psyro and slashed deep across his back.   
"PSYYYYRO!" Psyro screamed in pain, a dreadful sound that filled the gym in moments.   
"Way to go Scyther! It worked!" Keji yelled, with a sly grin.   
"Good moves kid!" Gwen yelled, "Now I got a clear shot!" She began to run past Psyro, who was avoiding wild, poorly planned slashes from Scyther with surprising dexterity.   
"Wait!" Keji yelled, chasing after her as she disappeared into the door below the balcony.   
"Hunter, why don't you deal with them while Psyro finishes the other gnats."   
Hunter bowed a bit, "With incredible pleasure."   
When he turned back, Psyro's eyes were glowing, leaving Scyther unable to move.   
"Duck!" A stream of water struck Psyro causing another bellow of pain to fill the arena.   
"RO!" Psyro spun and rose his hand, a blast of flame sent Kai leaping to one side, and Golduck to the other.   
"Hitmonchan!" Hitmonchan rose to his feet and shook his head, clearing the cobwebs from the blow.   
"Wak wak..." Marowak rose too, grabbing his bone club angrily. That was the second time he lost control of it in one day. He was NOT going to let go of it again.   
"Hmmm... it may get interesting yet." The man muttered, smiling.   
"Where are they going?" Chet asked Kai, helping him up.   
"A picnic?" Kai replied cynically, shaking his head, standing next to Chet, watching the battle, worried "Looks like we'll have to hold down the fort until they're done with the cole slaw."   
Chet grunted, as he and Kai leapt aside when Marowak flew into the wall behind them. Marowak shook his head, and darted into the fray again.

"Where are we going?" Keji yelled up the long flight of stairs, hoping Gwen was still rational enough to hear and respond to him.   
Gwen grumbled, still running up the stairs, "To find my son!"   
Keji sighed and shook his head. He had skepticism about this whole plan, but he knew what it felt like to lose someone important, and maybe he'd find Oddish wherever her son was.   
"A door!" She bellowed, stopping only a moment to throw it open and jump inside.   
Keji frowned, "Gwen, wait!" he ran even faster, right into the room, without a second thought.   
"Terry!" Gwen screamed, her anger fading into happiness. Keji looked around and saw a large room, only partially light with dim overhead lamps and a small window. In the corner was a small cage, more fit for Pokémon than the small, brown haired, five year old boy in ripped jeans and a plain white t-shirt, clutching a Rattata like a stuffed doll that was in there now. Keji frowned as he saw the other decoration adorning the room, a huge computer against the far wall, buzzing and whirring as it processed God knows what.   
"Is that... your son?" He asked, hoping she hadn't completely flipped.   
"Mom... mommy?" He yelled into the darkness. It was easy to hear that he had been crying.   
"How touching..." Hunter's voice rang out from the darkest corner of the room, opposite the small window.   
Keji growled, "Hunter, let the kid go!"   
"No can do, Fujikiro." He muttered, "You haven't won your rewards yet... oh yes... what about your reward...?"   
"Where is he Hunter?!" Keji yelled, his own anger rising.   
Gwen spun to face the darkness, "Let my son and his Oddish go scum, or I'll deal with you myself!"   
"Oh poo. I'm not scared of you." Hunter said, not at all amused.   
"You don't think I have to be strong to train fighting Pokémon?!" She yelled, preparing to fight, her hands raising.   
Hunter snorted, "I prefer Pokémon battles than proving my obvious physical superiority."   
"I'll fight one of your Pokémon with my bare hands you monster!" She screamed, her face beet red.   
"Which one will it be this time, Hunter?" Keji scoffed, "Arbok? Fearow? Spyder?" He laughed a bit, "I'm getting sick of your predictable tactics..."   
"Well," Hunter laughed, "You'll be happy to know I have a new Pokémon to destroy you with."   
Keji frowned, "What... a new lab rat? Or did you steal one and control it with one of those disks?"   
"No... maybe you'll recognize him..." He muttered, laughingly.   
Keji frowned, not knowing what to say.   
"Petal Dance." Hunter smiled, pointing at Keji. Suddenly he was thrown back by a sudden gust of wind filled with petals, each of them burning his flesh at contact. He hit the wall with a force that rattled his vision.   
"What...?" He groaned, painfully. Suddenly it was painfully clear who had attacked him. Beside Hunter was a very angry looking little blue Pokémon with leaves growing out of his head, "Odd... Oddish!?" He stared, now more than just physically wounded. It wasn't just any Oddish. It was his friend.   
"Ah, I see you two have already met." Hunter laughed, "Oddish, acid."   
"Oddish." Oddish nodded He opened his mouth wide and a stream of clear, smoking liquid sped towards Keji, missing his head by mere inches, burning a hole in the wall next to his head, the splashes, miraculously, missing him as well.   
"Keji!" Gwen began to rush to his aid, but Keji held up his hand.   
"What's gotten into you!? It's me... Keji!" Keji stood, sadness in his eyes.   
"Pah. Fool." Hunter muttered, "Absorb."   
"OOODD!" Oddish growled, and energy began to swirl around Keji, draining his strength, the energy returning to Oddish. Keji dropped to his knees, his eyes narrowed in pain.   
"Come... on... Weed Head... you twerp... cut it out..." Keji groaned, trying to chuckle, and standing slowly.   
"Again Oddish!" Hunter yelled, getting sick of Keji still being alive.   
Again Oddish's eyes narrowed as energy swirled around Keji, and again Keji dropped to his knees after only a few steps.   
"Pathetic..." he panted, "Thought I... trained you better than that..."   
"What are you doing Keji!? You just going to let him kill you?!" Gwen yelled.   
Keji grunted weakly, "See Hunter...?"   
"What is it Fujikiro? I see that no matter what I'll always win." He laughed.   
"Not without stealing my Pokémon..." Keji laughed weakly, "You couldn't win with your own Pokémon... I'll always be the better trainer..."   
Hunter shook his head, unamused, "Oddish, finish it, Solar Beam."   
Oddish grinned evilly as the sunlight coming through the window seemed to become even brighter, swirling around Oddish's foliage.   
Keji sighed and looked at the ground for a moment before he clenched his eyes shut, "Goodbye Weed Head..."   
Oddish frowned, "Odd... dish odd?"   
Keji bowed his head. This was it.   
"Odd... oddish..." Gwen looked over and saw small puffs of smoke coming from Oddish's head.   
"The disk!" Gwen yelled, pointing.   
Keji looked up, surprised, "Oddish!"   
"ODD ODD!" Oddish yelled in pain.   
"No Pokémon can resist our mind control disks!" Hunter laughed, "Oddish'll die before THAT thing comes off!   
"Odd... oddish... odd odd odd..." Oddish fell, face forward onto the ground, groaning in pain.   
"Fearow. Finish these twits." Hunter opened his Pokéball, releasing the brow colored bird cawing into the room.   
"Fear!" It cawed, spiraling, deciding whether to finish the weakened Keji, or Gwen, first.   
Keji bowed his head again, "Oddish... I... I need you..." he muttered, before falling to the ground, his energy all but spent.   
"Odd...?" Oddish looked up, slowly and painfully, "Oddish... oddish..." He closed his eyes, and suddenly began glowing.   
"What?!" Hunter stepped away from the fallen glowing Oddish, "What is this?! Fearow, kill this thing!"   
"Odd... odd... odddddd..." Oddish stood slowly, still glowing. Slowly the glow faded, "Wierdish!" Suddenly two wings made of leaves unfolded from the blue form of the newly evolved Oddish, revealing a new Pokémon, that left everyone in the room, including Hunter and Fearow, speechless.   
Gwen pulled out her Pokédex.

  


Wierdish   
No information available.

"No information..." She frowned.   
Keji shook his head, and lifted it slowly to gaze at his new friend, "Wierdish...?" He frowned.   
"FEEEEAROW!" Fearow swept down, trying to grab Wierdish in his talons. Wierdish leapt aside, and blew a puff of bluish powder at Fearow, who fell out of the air, unconscious as it enveloped him.   
"Good... Wierdish!" Keji coughed, almost thinking this a dream, but who was he to complain, it was better than the reality he just fell out of.   
"Arbok!" Hunter yelled, furious. He was not going to lose this time.   
"Wierdish... solar beam..." Keji groaned, barely even awake.   
"WIIIIIIIIIIIIERDISH!" Wierdish yelled, the sunlight again amplifying, swirling around his now thicker and taller plumage, and began to glow, leaf to toe.   
"BOK AR!" Arbok hissed, appearing in the center of the room, ready to strike.   
"WIERDISH!" Wierdish let one last yell out before firing the immense burst of light, striking not only Arbok, but Hunter as well, flinging them both into the huge computer in the back of the room with a loud metal thunk, sending sparks flying everywhere, even starting a small fire on the consol, both Hunter and Arbok out cold.   
"Way to go!" Keji yelled, attempting to stand.   
Gwen rushed over to Terry's cage, picked up a nearby chair, and swung it in a wide arc, smashing the lock and flinging it to the side.   
Wierdish and Keji just stared, open mouthed and wide eyed.   
"Come on you guys!" Gwen yelled, helping Keji up as her son pushed out of the cage, "And Keji..."   
He nodded and looked at her.   
"Thanks..." She smiled weakily.   
"Thank you for leading me to my friend..." he smiled back, then looked down at Wierdish, who was bounding happily beside the duo.   
"Wait... where's your son?" Keji wondered before they exited the room. Gwen spun around in the door way to see him peering into a large duffle bag.   
"Hurry up kidd-o! We have to go!" She yelled, seeing that the consol fire was spreading.   
"Mommy... aren't some of these yours?" He asked, pulling out a Pokéball in each of his small hands.   
"Our Pokémon!" Keji yelled happily, "Grab the bag and let's go!"   
Terry nodded, set his Rattata down, who happily bounded into the bag as Terry hefted it awkwardly, it being about as big as he was.   
Gwen nodded and helped Keji down the stairs, but after a few steps they stopped in their tracks.   
"Guido..." Keji frowned, "Out of our way..."   
"I think not Fujikiro... Jolteon!" He yelled, throwing out a Pokéball, releasing the yellow furred Eevee evolution Keji had seen Vincent use often.   
"Wierdish, go!"   
"JOLT!" Jolteon growled, and a burst of electricity sent Weirdish flying most of the ways up the stairs.   
"NO!" Keji yelled, leaning away from Gwen to his own feet.   
"Well if you didn't want to be killed by Psyro, why didn't you just say so?" Guido laughed evilly, "I am more than happy to do the job myself!"   
"Terry, the bag!" Keji yelled.   
Terry rushed up behind him and Keji reached into the bag. Ground type... Cubone of Sandshrew... he needed to be right the first time or it was over... a good trainer knows his own Pokéballs...   
"Say goodbye!" Guido yelled as Jolteon charged up again, ready to sling a deadly bolt at the trio.   
"GO!" He yelled, whipping out the Pokéball. He closed his eyes in anticipation of the painful shock.   
"SHREEEEEEW!" Sandshrew yelled in pain. Keji's eyes flew open, as did Gwen's and Terry's. They saw Sandshrew, taking the electrical blast, not moving forward or back, but appearing to be in a great deal of pain.   
"Sandshrew!" Keji yelled happily when Jolteon stopped the bolt. Sandshrew smiled weakily, and turned slowly to give Keji the thumbs up.   
"Lemme help!" Gwen yelled, digging for one of her own.   
"SHREW!" Sandshrew yelled, running down the stairs to attack Jolteon. Another blast threw Sandshrew back to his starting position, on his back, in front of Keji.   
"THUNDER!" Guido yelled angry at the interference in his fun.   
Keji flinched as the large bolt of electricity flew right at them, but didn't strike, as Sandshrew leapt into the air, and took the blow, getting knocked back into Keji, who fell on his butt, catching him.   
"Sandshrew, get out of the way! You're too wounded!" Keji said, flinching from Sandshrew slamming into him.   
Sandshrew shook his head, standing slowly, still standing on Keji's stomach. He jumped off and stood his ground.   
"BLAST THAT THING!" Guido yelled, very angry now.   
"JOOOOOLTEON!" Another blast, this one aimed directly at Sandshrew, was fired, and struck its mark, but Sandshrew stood against the continuing surge of electricity.   
"Sandshrew! Go! NOW!" Keji yelled. He tried to push Sandshrew out of the way, but Gwen grabbed him.   
"Keji! Don't be an idiot!"   
"He's my friend!" Keji yelled back, trying to pull away.   
"Shrew.... shrew..." Suddenly Sandshrew began to glow, much like Oddish had before he...   
"SLASH!" Out of Sandshrew's back, large spikes grew into a tough looking hide. His claws grew to be long and wicked. Sandshrew had evolved, and now no longer looked pained by the Jolteon's electric attack.   
"Way to go!" Keji yelled happily.   
"Two in one day!? Man are you lucky!" Gwen yelled, though it was obvious she was as happy about it as he was.   
"Sandslash, rolling tackle!" Keji yelled, immediately taking command of the situation.   
Sandslash nodded, and leapt into the air, pushing against the still surging electrical attack of Jolteon, "SLAAAAASH!" He rolled into a ball and flew at Jolteon and a very frightened Guido, standing behind his loyal Pokémon.   
"NO!" He yelled as Sandslash barreled into Jolteon, and continued forward, carrying himself, Jolteon and Guido through the door, which wasn't five feet behind the startled Team Nova member.   
"Way to go!" Gwen yelled, charging down the now clear stairwell.   
Keji spun and rushed up to Wierdish, "Thanks for your help..." he said, smiling, "I missed you buddy..."   
Wierdish grinned happily, even though he was obviously in a great deal of pain. Keji picked up his new friend, straining now that he was a good foot taller and a great deal heavier. He spun and followed Gwen and her son out of the stair well, again facing the battle with Psyro, and it didn't appear they were doing any better. Golduck was lying in a twitching, smoldering mass, with Kai next to him, comforting his very wounded Pokémon. Marowak was currently swinging his bone club at Psyro, though it was obvious he was very tired, as he was swinging painfully slow. Scyther was sprawled out on the floor, obviously still alive, but in a great deal of pain, and Hitmonchan was panting, leaning against the wall. Chet was bellowing orders from the corner.   
"Come collect your Pokémon!" Keji yelled like some sort of street vendor, hefting the bag from Terry, who gladly gave up the heavy load.   
"Rattata!" Rattata leapt out, and was caught in a happy embrace by Terry.   
"Alright!" Chet yelled, "Keep it up Marowak!"   
"Hunter you idiot..." The trainer muttered, "Psyro, finish them!"   
"WIERD!"   
"SLASH!"   
Keji frowned as Wierdish leapt out of his arms and Sandslash unrolled, "You guys are too weak to fight!"   
"Dish wierd, wierdish dish!" Wierdish spun and smiled, then turned back to Psyro, glaring angrily.   
"Rooooo..." Psyro growled, waving his hand and flinging Marowak against the wall with telekinesis.   
"Slash slash!" Sandslash recovered quickly and leapt at Psyro, rolling up into a ball, but stopped in mid flight when Psyro raised his hand.   
Keji frowned, "He's gotta have one of those disks on him... get rid of it Wierdish!"   
Wierdish nodded, but frowned, there wasn't enough light for another solar beam...   
Keji frowned too, as he noticed the same thing, "Well do something!"   
"Psyyyyyro!" Psyro flung a still rolled up Sandslash to the side, and turned to face Wierdish.   
"Dish..." Wierdish took a step back in fear... this thing was on fire... FIRE!   
Suddenly a bone club dropped down on Psyro's head from behind, sending the fire Pokémon to the ground, writhing in pain, revealing a panting, wheezing Marowak, standing behind him.   
"Told ya I'd win!" Chet yelled, triumphantly, with a thumbs up to Gwen and Keji "Way to go Marowak!"   
"Marow!" It yelled, triumphantly. Gwen smiled weakily and returned Chet's thumbs up.   
"The disk!" Keji yelled, rushing past everyone to get to Psyro.   
"Wait! It's still conscious!" Kai yelled, an unusual amount of emotion in his voice, as he looked up from his still unconscious Golduck.   
Keji didn't respond. He reached Psyro and saw the small round disk, stuck to the creature's head, and grabbed it.   
"PSYYYYYRO!" It bellowed in pain, fire erupting, and engulfing it, and Keji's hand.   
Keji flinched and clenched his teeth, pulling as hard as he could.   
"STOP THEM!" The gym leader yelled at Guido, who was just waking up from Sandslash's attack.   
Keji grunted one last time and flew backwards, the disk in hand, his hand in extreme pain from the fire.   
_"Where... where am I...?"_ A voice emerged in everyone's head, a calm, soothing, but confused voice. Psyro frowned and looked around.   
"You were being controlled!" Keji said, still flinching from his pained hand.   
Hunter emerged onto the balcony, limping, just as the mysterious trainer rose slowly, "We have a problem father..." he said softly.   
"Indeed." His father replied, starting out, "We must take our leave now..." both of them disappeared into the shadows of the balcony.   
Psyro frowned, _"Controlled... by whom...?"_   
"Him!" Chet yelled, spinning to find Hunter and his father gone.   
Keji frowned as he noted Guido gone too.   
Psyro frowned and began to levitate up to the balcony, just as smoke began to emerge from the stairwell.   
"The fire!" Keji yelled, "We have to get out of here!"   
Psyro shook his head, _"I have business to attend to... go humans."_   
"But..."   
_"GO!"_ It bellowed, still floating up to the balcony.   
"I hate to be a kill-joy..." Kai said, coughing a bit from the smoke that now filled the room, as he returned his unconscious Golduck, "But how exactly do we plan to leave?" he pointed up to where they fell in, "We can't fly... at least not all of us."   
Gwen frowned, "He's right... there's no way out."   
"Slash!" Sandslash yelled, leaping to his feet.   
"Sandslash can dig out!" Keji smiled, "Go for it!"   
"Sandslash slash slash!" Sandslash nodded and leapt into the air. When he hit the ground, his claws began tearing into the ground, opening a wide hole.   
"Great," Gwen muttered as everyone started piling into the hole, "Another tunnel..."   
Keji was the last in line to get out. He watched Wierdish pop in, and then turned, "Chet? Where are you going?"   
"I have unfinished business too kid..." He muttered, "I ain't leaving empty handed."   
"But... you'll die!"   
Chet laughed long and hard, "I'm not so easily killed! I did beat Psyro, remember."   
Keji groaned, "Be careful..." he muttered as he climbed into the hole.   
"Well, Marowak, let's get to it." he said, rushing up the stairs, into the smoke.   
"Wak wak..." Marowak nodded, following him, both of them without fear.

Rei had been pacing every minute after Keji left, and she began to have doubts that Keji would come out alive as she saw smoke rising from the "Gym".   
She suddenly leapt back several feet in terror as a hole opened up, almost under her.   
"What in the world?!" He screamed, as a Pokémon she had never seen popped its head out. She quickly pulled out her Pokédex.

Sandslash   
The evolved form of Sandshrew. This Pokémon can dig faster than most humans run, capable of rending most rocks with its powerful claws.

"Sand... slash?" She frowned, then opened her eyes wide as it emerged from the hole, smiling, "Sandshrew?"   
Suddenly the kid with glasses popped his head out, coughing from lack of air, "AIR! BEAUTIFUL FRESH AIR!" He yelled, scurrying to get out of the hole.   
"Uh... Kai?" She asked, hoping she remembered his name right.   
"Yeah..." He muttered. Rei noticed he had his Pokéballs under his white lab coat, attached to his belt, "You got your Pokéballs back!" she exclaimed happily, "Does that mean you won?"   
"You bet we did!" Gwen yelled, emerging from the hole, and turning to help her son out, who was also coughing from all the dirt and dust. He in turn spun around to dig his Rattata out.   
"Is Keji...?"   
"WIERDISH!" Wierdish popped out happily, causing Rei to scream again and fall back in surprise, "What is that!?"   
"Don't you recognize Oddish?" Keji said as he popped out of the hole himself, "He evolved!"   
"But... don't Oddish's evolve into Gloom?"   
Kai nodded, "Yes, a very odd evolution indeed."   
Keji shrugged, "If it's not broke, don't fix it..."   
Rei nodded, suddenly she blinked. He was alive! All that worrying and he was alive! She ran forward and hugged him, "I'm so glad you're all right!"   
Keji smiled, surprisingly not blushing, though Rei was, deeply.   
Gwen grinned, as did Kai, oddly enough.   
"Yuckie! He's hugging a girl!" Terry yelled, sticking out his tongue.   
Gwen grinned and glanced at Kai, who began laughing a bit, "I'll get your opinion on that in ten years and we'll see where we stand young man!" She replied.   
"But I'll never like girls!"   
"We'll see..." She laughed.

"What a bunch of idiots..." Hunter grumbled, watching the T.V. monitor.   
A voice came over a radio sitting next to Hunter, a battered and beaten Guido, and the mysterious gym trainer, "Fire contained sir."   
"Excellent work." He muttered.   
Guido grunted as he replaced the ice pack to his black eye, "How shall we kill them?"   
"We won't." The man replied, watching the screen, "Not yet anyway..."   
"WHAT?!" Hunter and Guido exclaimed in unison.   
The man looked over his shoulders, his gray hair falling to frame his face, mussed by the day's activities, "They earned this chance to live... We'll get them later... won't we Psyro?"   
"Psy... Psyro ro..." Psyro muttered, bowing his head obediently.   
Hunter growled and turned away from the screens. Again he'd been cheated of victory. It was a perfect plan. Guido just watched him, cool, calm, and collected, despite his painful wounds.

"So now what?" Rei asked, walking beside Keji... very close, almost making it hard for both of them to walk, though neither offered a complaint.   
"I guess we find a way off this island..." Kai muttered, typing away on his computer, "Looks like there's a small port town a couple miles east of here... we should be able to reach it in a couple days of walking."   
"Mommy... I'm tired..." Terry whined, lagging behind.   
Gwen stopped and picked him and his Rattata up effortlessly, "Better hun?" she asked.   
He nodded happily, "Much better!"   
"Ta! Rat rattata!" His Rattata squeaked, pleased.   
"Well, maybe this'll be a good change of events! I might catch some new Pokémon!" Keji laughed, "Besides, I got two evolved!"   
"Weirdish!" Wierdish laughed and bounded next to Keji, smiling.   
Rei smiled at him as well, unconsciously putting her hand in his own, to which he offered no argument...

Come join all the fun at  [Keji's Pokémon Gym!][1]

   [1]: http://homepages.infoseek.com/~kejifujikiro



End file.
